Where they lead, we will follow… even 25 years later! Amy Sherman-Palladino changed the TV landscape in October 2000 when Gilmore Girls debuted on The WB. The comedy-drama centered on a mother and a daughter — played to perfection by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel — as they navigated love, family drama, and ambition in their cozy town of Stars Hollow. Thanks to its quick wit and snappy dialogue, the series became a smash-hit. Over the course of seven seasons, audiences fell in love with their fictional town, as well as the people in the Gilmores’ community, including Melissa McCarthy’s Sookie and Sean Gunn’s Kirk Gleason. Among the lovable citizens of Stars Hollow, a fan-favorite was the grouchy, yet steadfast Luke Danes, played by Scott Patterson. He ran the local diner, Luke’s Diner, where the coffee was always hot whenever Lorelai and Rory came in. Underneath his gruff demeanor, Luke was extremely kind-hearted, looking after the Gilmore girls, and his care for Lorelai evolved into genuine romance. The two eventually tied the knot in the Netflix sequel miniseries, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. In connection with the 25th anniversary, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood invited Collider to their Holidays Made Here event at Star Hollows on the backlot. The event proved to be the perfect launch point for a brand-new initiative at the site called Collider Rewind — a multimedia retrospective that takes fans behind-the-scenes as their favorite films and series reach major milestones. The fictional town of Stars Hollow was decorated in its holiday best when we visited, but the real magic lies with the landmarks of the beloved, iconic town, featuring the Dragonfly Inn, Miss Patty’s School for Ballet, and, of course, Luke’s Diner. Collider was able to speak with Scott Patterson inside his former domain, Luke’s Diner, as he reflected on the lasting impact of Gilmore Girls. He also reacted to new fans discovering the show, and why he thinks audiences connected to Luke. You can watch the full interview in the video player above, and continue scrolling for the full transcript.
Scott Patterson Is Ready for the Next 25 Years of ‘Gilmore Girls’

“I think we’re just getting started.”

COLLIDER: 25 years of Gilmore Girls. How are you feeling right now? SCOTT PATTERSON: I’m feeling really old. Really, really old. No! At 25 years, for it to continue to grow like this and for the fan engagement to increase on a per annum basis, if you will, is just the most extraordinary thing. Nobody could have imagined this or envisioned this. I remember speculating, year one, how long do you think this is going to go? And I thought five seasons because it’s so good, and the competition’s really tough. But here we are at 25, and I think we’re primed for 25 more. What do you think? It’s just going to keep ramping up. The fandom continues to grow year after year, so I feel like Gilmore Girls is primed for even more love in the next 25 years. PATTERSON: I think we’re just getting started. The first 25 is the toughest, and here we are. Now, it’s all just going to be gravy. How have you seen the fans evolve from when Gilmore Girls first started to newer fans just discovering the show for the first time? PATTERSON: The original demo was very specific, but that has spread out throughout every single demographic you can possibly imagine. And then it went global in 2016 in a way that nobody expected, and it’s just been overwhelming. I do a lot of conventions during the year, and the fans are getting younger and younger and younger. I mean, there are little six-year-old, seven-year-old kids and babies dressed as Luke, and the parents are so thrilled — and really young parents, by the way. They’re, like, 25. The fan base has exploded, and it’s just sort of everywhere. I did see, and I don’t want to brag, but on Saturday Night Live, they were doing a skit, and they mentioned they wanted to go to Luke’s, and go to the gazebo in Gilmore Girls. So, it really has become this sort of cultural phenomenon, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of it.
Scott Patterson Recognizes Luke Danes’ Impact in TV History

“I think the kids like Luke because he doesn’t take any crap.”

Scott Patterson as Luke Danes in ‘Gilmore Girls’Image via The WB

I feel like it’s also a seasonal love, too. Every fall, it is always at the top of our list of comfort shows to watch. Why do you think that is? PATTERSON: Just because of the stories and the characters and the humor of the show. And just because it’s so fast. People have to rewatch it because they want to pick up the jokes that they didn’t hear because they were laughing from the first joke, and then two and three. They didn’t quite get it, so they want to go rewatch it. It’s just a feel-good show. Nothing really bad can happen. It’s so relatable for everybody, especially mothers and daughters, and if they’ve had any kind of tension, and let’s face it, everybody has tension once in a while, they want to see how it gets resolved. It’s such a great idea for a show. I remember reading and talking to Amy [Sherman-Palladino] about how she was pitching so many different types of shows to the networks after she’d done her internship at Roseanne. They were like, “Nah. You got anything else before you leave?” And she said, “Well, there’s this mother-daughter thing…” “Write that.” Some executive somewhere new here at Warner Bros. knew that that might have some life, and boy, were they right. I’d also say Luke has become a cultural touchstone, too, for the grumpy, flannel-wearing love interest that has become a prototype ever since. How have you seen Luke’s impact?

PATTERSON: I think people gravitate toward Luke because he’s unchanging. He’s this Rock of Gibraltar character who is selfless. It’s kind of a post-World War II mentality, where it ain’t about me. It’s about everybody else, and what I can do for them, and suffer in silence, and not protest, and wake up early, grind all day. Help your friends. Love your friends in the way that you do. Don’t suffer fools. I think they like that part. I think the kids like Luke because he doesn’t take any crap.
Scott Petterson’s Favorite Place at Luke’s Diner Is Still Right Behind the Counter

“All the power back there.”

Scott Patterson as Luke Danes inside his diner in ‘Gilmore Girls’Image via The WB

He’s got some of the best rants, honestly. Do you have a favorite that comes to mind? PATTERSON: “Jam Hands” is right up there. There are so many. When he was looking for apartments with Lorelai, and he made a phone call and did a rant — I can’t remember the dialogue. Every time I came here, I was ranting about something. It’s just fun to play him. He’s really not a lot like me, but it’s fun to put on those clothes and inhabit that character. I miss him dearly. Well, last question for me, since we are in Luke’s Diner, do you have a favorite corner of this place? Where is your favorite place to hang out? PATTERSON: Just behind the counter, right there. Right over there. Because I have access to Caesar (Aris Alvarado), right? I know what’s going on in the kitchen. I’ve got access to the money. And that’s where Lorelai usually comes to order or something. And the phone’s there, too. So, all the power back there, the non-cellular phone, the landline is there. So, let that be a warning to everybody.